The Dominion. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1908. THE MUSICAL OUTLOOK.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 318, 3 October 1908, Page 4

The Dominion. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1908. THE MUSICAL OUTLOOK.

If tho number ot concerts of .ill kinds which have during the last few months taken place in Wellington is to be taken as a basis upon which to estimate tho progress in the Dominion, of music and music culture, then indeed wo must be forging ahead with a vengeance. There has been a constant stream of announcements in the Press of one or more musical functions ofvarying importance, and those impartial and discerning gentlemen whose business it is to write up and comment upon such events have assuredly had 110 reason to complain that "Othello's occupation's gone." Indeed, it has been said that we have had a plethora of those things, and although we may not be disposed to go this length with those who hold such viows, it Booms clear that some Jow soacarts' oi high tttiiUs B&odlsttc^

and undeniable intrinsic value as educational factors have not obtained such an amount of public recognition and support as they deserved. In the case of Kubelik, who is, and wo think rightly, regarded at Home more as a virtuoso of prodigious powers than as a serious musician, tho reasons are not far to seek; but there have been other events to which such reasons do not apply, and which havo failed to " draw " as they should. In this category wo do not, of course, include the Mallinson recitals, wliich, as expositions of what can bo done by a judicious blending of sound musicianship and highly-trained technique, may almost be said to stand alone. No sane observer will deny that much—very muchhas been done locally of late 'years in the way of advancement in the knowledgo and practice of the divino art. We may go so far, after due consideration of the matter, as to say that amongst tho English-speaking races the average antipodean amateur vocalist or instrumentalist is in every way as capable as his cousins or other kindred on tho other side of the globe; but his-opportunities, especially in these somewhat isolated islands, are. necessarily fewer than in Europe, and hcnco it behoves him to avail himself to the utmost of such as do occur, It is not enough merely to attend and listen to the. tours de forcc of such shining lights in the musical firmament as happen to visit these shores, valuable though these object-lessons (if we may be permitted to use the term) may be. To . achieve the best results tho aim should be, in our apprehension, twofold: first, tho training and educational improvement of musicians as a body, for, after-all, it is to the rank and file of that cult that wo must look for the maintenance of a proper standard of general efficiency; and, secondly, the adequato recognition and appreciation of the public. It may be said that, given tho first condition, tho second follows as a necessary consequence; but, though it may in the main bo true, experience docs not by any means always go to provo the correctness of tho assertion. It would bo ungracious .in tho extreme to ,deny: thatthe local societies—which have done, and continue to do, most valuable work in our midst—receive a considerable amount of public support, but more may and must bo done on the part of tho public before the goal for which we should strivo is reachcd. " Patronise local industries " is a commercial axiom which, with a trifling modification of language, may well bo applied to the case. In this connection we are disposed to look forward hopefully to the establishment in our city of that most valuablo of all musical educators, a permanent orchostra, and with tho material ready to hand, as it unquestionably is, tho realisation of such a hope should be-well within tho realm of practical politics. Whatever- may be urged against tho suggestion (of which, be it said, we. are not claiming the authorship, as it is. not altogether novel), it is well worthy of consideration, and the comparatively small expenditure involved in its fulfilment should not be allowed to interfere. We disclaim any intention of prcaching a mere "gospel of amuseMusic, as is well recognised, has other and nobler' purposes than to ticklo tho. car or set heads ,wagging and feet stamping as tho outward and visible manifestations of its influence. - Let us hope,, then, that tho laudable efforts of the various local societies may meet with due recognition and encouragoment, and that our local sons of Apollo may merit something better than was caustically said of an indifferent performer by Dunouita more than half a century ago, to wit:— "Old Orpheus play'd so well he mov'd Old Nick! But thou mov'st nothing but thy Mdle-stick l "